Thoughts and musings from a writer, editor, photographer, activist, and musician in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I believe that faith and social action are intertwined in efforts to positively motivate change in the society around us. We need to be actively involved in our communities to try to effect this change locally and globally. I also love the local Arts scene. Warning: alternative perspectives and strong opinions ahead. Intimidated yet? Good - read on.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Stuffing A Bus

On Saturday, I took part in a direct action. Not the kind with which I am usually involved. I donned a green vest and helped out with the Edmonton Food Bank's annual Stuff-a-Bus event. ETS buses were located at various Save-Ons across the city. My location was at The Hamptons, way our in the west end.

Our job was pretty straightforward. We stood in the Save-On lobby and encouraged people to donate food or money to the Food Bank. Many people bought five dollar hampers for sale, and then loaded them onto the bus (or handed them to the perky ETS volunteer to do). The children really enjoyed coming on to the bus. By the end of the afternoon, the bus was indeed quite stuffed.

As an activist, I always stay focused on the reasons why people go hungry. If we don't work on the underlying causes, then food banks and soup kitchens and shelters are just band-aid solutions to a greater societal problem. At the same time, we have to help those in immediate need. This is why volunteering with a mainstream charitable organization like the Edmonton Food Bank is so important. There is tangible work done for those who need it most.

Overall, the event collected 30,683 kilograms of food, up from 20,000 last year.